


Paradise

by Aninjaoflove



Category: Bat Out Of Hell: The Musical - Steinman
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-09-05 18:57:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16816495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aninjaoflove/pseuds/Aninjaoflove
Summary: It was a hot summer night and Sloane was at a party she had been forbidden to attend when she first aid eyes on him.A look at Sloane and Falco's backstory .  How they got together and why they stayed together.





	Paradise

**Author's Note:**

> The characters of Sloane and Falco are my favourite. I absolutely love their journey and wondered how they got to where they were. Obviously they don't belong to me. They belong to the fabulous Sharon Sexton and Rob Fowler and all of the music belongs to Jim Steinman, so nobody sue me! I hope you enjoy.
> 
> Oh and BTW for the purposes of my story everyone is like Cher and Meatloaf no-one has a surname!

It was a hot summer night. Sloane was at a party she’d been forbidden to attend when she first laid eyes on him. Falco was tall, dark and handsome and better still he’d been wearing a black leather jacket. He was everything she wasn’t, unrefined, disadvantaged and dangerous. She was drawn to him instantly. He told her she looked like paradise. She laughed at the corny pick up line but let him get her a drink anyway. They were in harmony from the very beginning. They understood one another and despite their differences they connected. Neither of them felt they belonged until they found each other. His father had taken off before they had even buried his mother. He had no family, no money and no prospects and was often antagonistic to hide his insecurities. Her family were among the elite in Obsidian. They were extremely controlling, watching her every move and Sloane felt burdened by their status and the expectation to be perfect and so rebelled. For the first time they could be themselves. It was new and exciting. They had never felt this way about anyone before and the rush of emotion was exhilarating. They were 17 and carefree, young and in love and they had their whole lives ahead of them. Their relationship became intense very quickly and was all consuming.

Sloane’s mother had warned her about boys like Falco. They smoked too much, drank too much and drove too fast. Worse still, they were only after one thing. Her father said it wouldn’t do for a girl of her standing to get mixed up with people “like him”, which only made Sloane more determined to ignore her parents. She would creep out and stay up all night. Her grades suffered but when you’re the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Obsidian all you had to do was mention your daddy’s name and suddenly you were getting straight A’s. Sloane didn’t care much for her family’s money. She hated having so much when she could see others had so little. After the earthquake a few years ago stories had begun to emerge of teenagers who’s DNA had frozen leaving them suspended at 18. They had become outcasts, their families and friends unable to comprehend what was happening to them, so they were pushed into the shadows. Sloane had wanted to help. She asked her parents to set up a charity but her father had called her a bleeding heart and told her to stay away from “those kids.” Her parents never took her seriously. Falco did. He would wrap her in his arms and listen to her talk for hours about how she wanted more from life than being a princess locked in an ivory tower. She wanted to help people and balance the divide of power so that everyone could be equal. Falco would tell her that when she graduated they would leave this place and ride off into the sunset together. They decided that she would finish school and let her parents buy her into a university far away. He would get a job with cars and motorbikes (the only useful thing his dead beat father ever taught him) and they would be together, always. He swore an oath one night when he couldn’t contain his passion any longer. He was so nervous but he promised her she would never regret being with him. He promised to make her happy. He promised her paradise.

When she discovered she was pregnant all hell let loose. Sloane was terrified and confused, unsure which way to turn. Her parents had locked her in her room not even allowing her to go to school when Falco broke in in the dead of the night. He was upset that he hadn’t seen her in days and worried she wanted to break up with him. When she told him the real reason for her absence he was panic-stricken. But one look at her tear stained, frightened face and he remembered the vow he made on the night they had conceived their baby. He’d taken her hands and promised her it would be all right. He’d tried to appeal to her parents. He knew he didn’t have much to offer but he would work hard and provide for their daughter and the baby but they were horrendous to him and a huge fight ensued. Sloane was given a choice and she chose Falco.  
They left the city in the only thing Falco owned, his Pontiac GTO. Sloane had managed to grab a few essentials and a handful of bills she kept under her mattress for emergencies. Falco had no family to speak of and Sloane had just burned her bridges. They were alone. They slept in the car and worked crappy jobs until they saved up enough money for a tiny one room apartment. He brought her roses stolen from gardens and doughnuts “for the baby” left over in the break room at his gas station job. It was hard but they had each other and strangely they’d never been happier. They would lie in bed at night, tangled in each other, discussing their future. They would save up enough money and he would start his own business and provide for their little family. She would go back to school and use her free time to do charity work. They would raise their baby surrounded by love and they would always be happy. When Sloane was around 7 months pregnant Falco made her give up her waitressing job. He would provide for them all he told her. He would work all day then go out at night but would never say where and eventually she gave up asking. About 3 weeks before their baby was due he came home bloodied and bruised but grinning from ear to ear. He got down on one knee and presented her with a sparkling gold wedding band. The next day they went to the court house and he made good on his promise to love her ‘til the end of time. Their daughter was born shortly after. She had a shock of jet black hair so they named her Raven and she was the most beautiful thing either of them had ever seen.

Life with a baby was hard. Raven was fussy and didn’t sleep well and Sloane knew nothing about being a mother. She loved her daughter but she was still barely more than a child herself. Falco could see his wife suffering and was determined to make it better for her. When Raven was around 3 months old Falco surprised Sloane by moving them to a new apartment. He told her this one belonged to a ‘friend’ of his and they could stay as long as they wanted. It also came with a bonus, a nanny to help with the baby. Sloane cried in relief and was so happy to have help she didn’t question Falco’s new ‘friend’’s generosity .

Things became easier in their new home and for a while life was perfect. Along with the apartment and nanny Falco also had a new job which meant he was home more. His new friends had secured him a position in ‘housing development’. Sloane wasn’t exactly clear on what he did but he seemed happy so that made her happy. His new job paid well and he was able to afford to treat his wife to a few little luxuries. Sloane insisted that she didn’t care about material possessions but Falco wanted to give her the life she’d left behind to be with him. As long as they were together that was all that mattered but when he presented her with a diamond engagement ring on their first wedding anniversary she was overjoyed. They were closer than ever but living in paradise came with a price. Falco would get phone calls at strange times of the day and night. When Sloane wanted him to ignore them he shook his head and told her it wasn’t an option. To give them the life they had now he owed favours to some powerful people and he needed to pay his debts. He kissed the top of her head and held her close as he explained one day he would hold all of the power and then she could help all of the people she desired. Until then she would have to trust that he was doing his best for them. Sloane would nod and pull him closer to try and banish her worries.

Working in ‘housing development’ had its perks though. Two years into their marriage they were able to buy their own house on a large piece of land just outside the city. Five years in and they had a penthouse in a nice part of Obsidian city itself. But this meant the phone calls increased and so did his work load. Sloane worried more so he told her less. He would justify his secrecy to himself as protecting her but she began to feel isolated and distanced from her husband and slowly cracks began to appear.

They had been married for 6 years the first time he forgot their wedding anniversary. Sloane cried and when he realised he was devastated and begged forgiveness. She gave it to him but she could see that the man she had married and the tearful man in front of her were not the same. His job was taking him away from her and his hunger for power was changing him. He had risen quickly from ‘housing development’ to law enforcement. He had become consumed with the wealthy families in Obsidian who controlled the city, then who strangely, one by one had lost their money and power in suspicious circumstances and were banished from the city. Sloane had pleaded with him to find out what had happened to her parents but for the first time he became angry with her and she never brought it up again. 

The favours he had done were paying off and Falco rose to become the most powerful person in Obsidian. Of course people in positions of power often had enemies and he was no exception which was why he shielded his family from his work. He became secretive about that part of his world and began to insist that Raven was kept out of the public eye. He told Sloane it was for their own good, that he was protecting them from the unrest that was beginning from the underground. He built a new home for them. An imposing tower block in the heart of Obsidian that was guarded better than Fort Knox. But on the day of its unveiling there was a clash between Falco’s militia and some protestors, a group calling themselves The Lost. The militia became heavy handed and began beating the group. Sloane was horrified and begged Falco to intervene and when he refused she ran out into the street screaming at them to stop. Unfortunately the police didn’t realise who she was and an officer was just about to strike her when she was pushed to the ground. When Sloane looked up she found a blonde haired, teen aged girl lying on top of her. The girl looked terrified but there was something else behind her eyes that Sloane couldn’t quite put her finger on. She was just about to thank her when she heard a child screaming followed by the roar of her husband’s voice. She had never heard him so upset and her heart stopped when she saw why. A well-built young man with long blonde hair was holding her daughter away from her father. Raven had seen her mother in the street and confused and upset had run out after her only to be caught up in the chaos. Seeing the frightened little girl the boy had picked her up out of harms way only to be charged at by a murderous Falco. Sloane ran towards her child and the young man wrenched himself from Falco’s grasp to hand Raven to her mother. Raven clung to her mother sobbing but insistent that the young man was nice but Daddy wouldn’t listen. Sloane felt a hand tighten on her arm as she was dragged back inside. Once inside she turned to protest but the words died in her throat. The look on her husband’s face stunned her into silence. She cast her gaze to the floor and nodded when Falco told her to take Raven to her room. 

Later that night he crept into their bed long after her. He wrapped her in his arms and sighed into her hair. He told her how terrified he’d been. How he’d thought they were trying to kidnap Raven, how scared he was when he thought Sloane had been hurt. They were his paradise and he couldn’t bear it if something happened to them. He pleaded with her not to go outside again and to forget all about those freaky kids. Sloane had kissed him and held him close but she couldn’t make herself promise something she wasn’t sure she would keep.

After the clash at the tower Falco’s fixation with protecting his family intensified. He became overprotective to the point of mania and Sloane began to feel smothered. She needed an escape. She also couldn’t shake the image of the girl who had risked her life to save her. There was something different about her, about all of them and Sloane had to find out what it was. The protests against Falco’s ventures became more frequent so late one night when her daughter was sleeping and her husband was working Sloane slipped on her husband’s old leather jacket, messed up her hair and followed a group back to where they hung out. At first the group were wary of this stranger but a mutual curiosity developed between them. She was fascinated with the realisation they were forever young and they were intrigued with the fact she had matured. She offered to help them and would bring them tools and supplies. Sloane identified with The Lost. They had been shunned by their families and left to fend for themselves. They had nothing except each other and yet they were happy and she yearned for those days. Being young and carefree seemed so long ago and far away but being with them gave her cause to relive her lost youth. She’d had to grow up fast but with The Lost she didn’t have to be responsible or sensible. She’d spent her life being defined by her relationship to other people. She loved being Falco’s wife and Raven’s mother but that wasn’t all she wanted to be. She’d been someone’s daughter, then a wife and mother now she could just be Sloane.

She’d finally found her calling. Caring for The Lost gave her a new purpose in life. She’d helped a few of them find jobs, talked a couple of them into repairing fractured relationships and just enjoyed spending time with them. It made her happy. Falco had noticed a change in his wife and began to worry she was having an affair. Being a powerful man he attracted a lot of attention from women who would fall at his feet or who would want to use him for sex. He’d been offered prostitutes as part of his business dealings but he’d always refused. He belonged with Sloane. He’d sworn he would always be hers and he was a man of his word. He’d never break that promise or forget his vow and it devastated him to think she would betray him. So he followed her one night. When he discovered where she was going he was furious with her for ignoring his wishes but the more he watched her from the shadows the more heartbroken he became. She looked so relaxed here among these people and when she smiled at the boy she was talking to he realised he hadn’t seen her do that in a long time. He wanted to be the one who made her happy. The jealousy drove him crazy and fuelled his hatred of The Lost even more. His anger boiled up inside him and he had to leave before he did something stupid. However he was waiting for her when she got home that night and a blazing row followed. He asked her where she’d been, but the tone of his voice and the fact she was wearing his leather jacket told her he already knew the answer. She’d been defiant and said she didn’t have to explain herself but he’d begged to differ. She’d told him she wasn’t his property but he’d argued that she was his wife and she had an obligation to him. They’d screamed and yelled but it was only when he outright accused her of sleeping with someone else she softened. She saw the devastation on his face and rushed to reassure him. During her time at The Deep End she’d been hit on by men and women and although she’d been tempted she’d never said yes because of her love for him. She looked him in the eye and he could see she was telling the truth when she told him she’d only ever been with him and that he was all she ever wanted. He apologised for doubting her but begged her not to go back there. He would help her find her paradise just not with those mutants. She looked at the desperate man in front of her and could see that boy by the lake who had sworn his undying love for her. The boy whose mother had died leaving him with a disinterested father. The boy who had nowhere he belonged until he found her. She knew she and Raven were his reason for everything which is why she found herself agreeing to stay away from The Lost. 

Now he watched her every move. He thought he was losing her so he tightened his hold until it became suffocating. Sloane had become everything she never wanted to be, trapped by her status and someone else’s ambition. She tried to hold on to the happy times. The days when they were young, and the only thing that mattered was making a happy home for their daughter, but she’d failed. Raven was the princess locked in an ivory tower with her parents as guards. Sloane had given up her calling, condemned her daughter and was miserable and she blamed Falco for it all. Resentment grew between them. He couldn’t understand why she wasn’t more appreciative of the life he had provided for them and she couldn’t make him understand that this was not what she wanted. He became absent and unfeeling ploughing his time and energy into maintaining his empire. She became needy and spiteful picking fights with him just to get his attention. The small loving gestures between them disappeared replaced with snide comments. They were both very passionate people so they still had sex frequently but it had lost its intimacy. Instead of lying tangled together afterwards they now rolled over with their backs to each other. Sloane hated what they had become.

She was lonely and so she drank. It helped to numb the pain of ignored anniversaries and lost opportunities. As their daughter grew so did their animosity until Raven couldn’t remember a time when her parents had loved each other. But Sloane could. She’d had her taste of paradise and it was all she needed to make her stay. She remembered those two kids in that parking spot by the lake and clung on to the hope that one day they would find their way back to each other. She wanted to scream at him and tell him this wasn’t how it was supposed to be. She wanted to say how much she missed that young rebel who had looked at her like she was his whole world. She wanted to tell him that she hated the man he had turned into but loved the man she knew he was. She wanted to explain how she felt that she had given up everything for him to be left with nothing. But she could never bring herself to voice the words she knew would break his heart. Instead she hid behind sarcastic remarks and absurd antics and communication between them completely broke down. 

Sometimes she thought about leaving but where would she go? She had no friends or family and no independent means. Besides the only way Falco would let her take Raven would be over his dead body so it was never really an option. Raven was the glue that held them together so Sloane decided to focus on her daughter. It may be too late for Sloane to escape but she was determined Raven would be free.  
After Sloane reconnected with The Lost she began to plant the seeds of rebellion in Raven’s head. Her daughter had been an angel every day of her life but Sloane made her wonder what it was like to be damned. She talked to Raven about finding her paradise and following her dreams but she was always very careful never to undermine Falco or to make Raven question her father’s love. She wanted Raven to understand that he hadn’t always been this way which was why she gave her his leather jacket on the eve of her eighteenth birthday with the hope she had given her child everything she needed to fly.

When Raven did fly Sloane had nothing left to hide behind. She was forced to face the fact that the Falco she adored no longer existed. She’d witnessed first-hand the delight he had taken in torturing The Lost and the satisfaction he’d taken in announcing their leaders death. The final straw had come when he had confronted Zahara in a desperate bid to find Raven and had been so blinded by his rage he had almost hit his wife. Sloane wasn’t worried about him striking her. The physical pain didn’t bother her. It was the look in his eyes. That was the moment she knew she’d lost him. With all of her hope gone, she walked out. 

For the first time in her life she was on her own. For 6 months she wandered trying to figure out who she was and where she was going. She had no idea how she’d gotten here. She no longer recognised the person she was. What had happened to that rebellious teenager with the ‘bleeding heart’ who wanted to help people? Where was the idealistic young wife whose soul mate had been the centre of her whole world? Or that mother who barely more than a child herself had wanted nothing more than to make a happy home for her daughter? She was gone and she could never get her back. Heartbroken, her paradise lost Sloane desperately wished she could turn back the clock, but she couldn’t. Instead she chose to summon her strength and move forward. She couldn’t be that girl who felt she had to be perfect but she could be the woman who realised she didn’t have to be. A woman who would take charge of her own life and make her own paradise. She took time away and rebuilt herself. She made herself strong again. She was no longer just a wife and mother. She changed. She grew up.

The problem was once you were a grown up you could never go back…or so she thought. She was prepared to make it on her own but she hadn’t been prepared to face him again. Sloane stole into Raven’s bedroom after so long away wanting offer comfort to her child but upon seeing Strat had beaten her to it she tried to leave only to come face to face with Falco. She had been floored by the unexpected torrent of emotion from both of them. He was broken yet so happy to see her and in that instant every defence she had built against him came crumbling down. She listened as he begged forgiveness and let all of the years of heartache fall away. She asked him to rebuild their relationship and rediscovered her hope in his promise that he would do anything she desired. With his redemption came their resurrection. They agreed to forgive and forget and all of the reasons they had gotten together and stayed together came back to them. They would love each other forever. They would always need each other and never leave again. Together they were paradise.


End file.
